Am I a crook?

[Peter]

Had a look at a bathroom this evening. About 23m to do in 600x300 and there were stud walls with adhesively slimmed flakey plasterboard, a crumbly window wall and a bath wall constructed with 9mm ply. Priced to reboard everything including a floor, tank, tile and supply all materials. The total cost came to £560 and she more or less told me to get out of her house because everyone else had quoted half that. Will maybe get the repair job next year.

I dispair at this game sometimes. More annoyingly, it was actually a referral from a retired tiler with a top not h reputation who's customers never mind paying a bit extra and getting a good job.

 

[Del W]

I take it the others were just going to tile & grout.

 

[enduro]

That was cheap..

 

[Peter]

Yeah, the others didn't see a problem to tile straight onto what was there. Labour was probably roundabout the same price, but she just seen the "Total" box and nearly creamed herself. :lol:

 

[Andy Allen]

i would be near the £600 mark just for the tiling...

 

[EverDon Tiling]

Sounds a good price imo you can't win em all. I always explain whats going to happen and why before they get the price.

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

well there are a few other trades taking a few jobs of tilers, if the plastering forum can be believed a few of the spreads are going in to tiling bathrooms and stuff as they see it as easy money ........

 

[John Benton]

Had a look at a bathroom this evening. About 23m to do in 600x300 and there were stud walls with adhesively slimmed flakey plasterboard, a crumbly window wall and a bath wall constructed with 9mm ply. Priced to reboard everything including a floor, tank, tile and supply all materials. The total cost came to £560 and she more or less told me to get out of her house because everyone else had quoted half that. Will maybe get the repair job next year.

I dispair at this game sometimes. More annoyingly, it was actually a referral from a retired tiler with a top not h reputation who's customers never mind paying a bit extra and getting a good job.

You can do all my bathrooms for that price - as the supermodels used to say 'I wouldn't get out of bed for less than £10k a day'.

Not quite on that scale but you're working for nothing there Peter.

 

[Andy Allen]

well there are a few other trades taking a few jobs of tilers, if the plastering forum can be believed a few of the spreads are going in to tiling bathrooms and stuff as they see it as easy money ........

wonder what standered the plastering will be when they tile it...lol

 

[Peter]

You can do all my bathrooms for that price - as the supermodels used to say 'I wouldn't get out of bed for less than £10k a day'.

Not quite on that scale but you're working for nothing there Peter.

Know what you mean but you won't get any more than £15 per metre for ceramics here, usual rate is about 12. Annoying to think that I'd get twice the amount in England for the same work. Recently been trying to push the higher rate for a better standard of finish but if I priced a job at £25 per metre I wouldn't get any work. Wages in general are lower over here too.

In saying that I can still make a reasonable living and bring in what I would consider a comfortable income.

 

[John Benton]

Know what you mean but you won't get any more than £15 per metre for ceramics here, usual rate is about 12. Annoying to think that I'd get twice the amount in England for the same work. Recently been trying to push the higher rate for a better standard of finish but if I priced a job at £25 per metre I wouldn't get any work. Wages in general are lower over here too.

In saying that I can still make a reasonable living and bring in what I would consider a comfortable income.

Do you have 10 days in a week in Ireland? :lol:

 

[Peter]

We just have to work a bit faster. :lol:

 

[Time's Ran Out]

I understand the regional variation in labour rates and so it's not cheap (especially when you didn't get the job) to charge the rate that you are happy with!
We are in a financial downturn period in many areas of the British Isles and prices are low with competition rife from other trades trying to do our work.
However we have to work harder and better, showing a professional attitude even with the reduced wages, to continue to build that customer base and referrals that will see us through the rest of our careers - it's not a one off job - it's building a business.
We all fail to win contracts, that's why we estimate so people can compare, but if we believe we are giving value for money in our pricing, then we are not crooks!
Although there are various materials available at different prices, there is only one way to do a job and that is properly. If the customer doesn't want to pay for it to be done that way, that's their choice as it's your choice not to get involved in short term gain. The future is in your reputation.

 

[John Benton]

You could say by the same token that people who do a really bad job and charge very little are crooks. Unfortunately, we are working in a time where most people are looking after their hard earned, and want jobs doing for nothing, and there are guys out there willing to do it!!!

I went to do a quote for one of my wife's work colleagues and for the en-suite with what wanted doing it came to about £850. She thought it was expensive, but the following week my wife came home from work to tell me that her colleague had spent £560 on a handbag. These people sometimes just do not have any sense of perspective.